Do you find it hard to stay fit when you travel? I know that when I am traveling to a different country (especially one that is known for the food) it can be a challenge for me to not put on weight. Here are 7 ways to stay fit while traveling that I thought anyone would be able to benefit from, but especially those of you that are traveling with families.
1. Walk instead of taking public transportation
If you have kids, this may not be able to be used all of the time but you could walk to some of your destinations. Walking is great for you and doesn’t cost a thing! You don’t have to walk at a super fast pace and when you are on vacation the whole purpose is to take in your surrounding, right? What better way to do it then to walk the streets of a new city?
2. Don’t eat out for every meal
This is something I try to not do when I travel. As much as I love to eat, eating out for every meal can be really expensive and can wreak havoc on your waistline. Since I tend to rent apartments when I travel, it makes it much easier to buy a few things from the local grocery store and have a meal at home. Or you can bring instant oatmeal packs from home and eat that in the morning to offset some of the cost and calories of eating out.
Not renting an apartment? No worries. You can get cereal from a local grocery store, some plastic utensils and bowls and have cereal in the morning. Many hotels have small refrigerators that you can put a small carton of milk in. This is an economical way to start the day and you can choose any type of cereal you feel is healthy for you.
3. Bring a jump rope
Jumping rope is an excellent cardiovascular workout. And it’s cardio without even having to really think about it. Jump ropes fit well in a carryon bag or a suitcase, and if you have kids there is no reason everyone can’t have their own jumprope and do it together!
If there is no room to jump where you are staying, put the ropes in your bag and as you go throughout the day, find a park and go jump there. The kids will love it (kids still jump rope, don’t they?) and it will be a good way to break up the touristy things that you do as a family throughout the day.
4. Do jumping jacks
Why not continue with the jumping theme? Jumping jacks require no extra equipment, all you need is space to do them. This can be something you do with or without children. If you are staying in a hotel more than likely they have a gym or an area where you can jump. Even if you go into a stairwell and jump that will be a great way to get your heart pumping and get some exercise in while you travel.
5. Run/walk up stairs
Walking or running up stairs is an excellent way to burn calories. If you have music on your phone and some headphones, you can start at the bottom and walk all the way to the top of the building you are staying in. It doesn’t require anything us but you and you can make it fun for your kids if you have them.
Kids love to race so why not see who can get to the top first? Who cares if they may always win, the point is to get moving and have fun in the process. Your kids will probably love beating mom (and dad if that applies) and if you are like me with no kidlets, then the music can help you get up that next flight of stairs.
6. Play with your kids outside
Now, for those of us that don’t have kids this one doesn’t apply to us. Unless you can find someone what will let you play with their kids but I wouldn’t recommend asking, that may just look weird. But if you have kids, playing with them is a great way to stay fit.
How to do that on vacation? Simple. There are parks everywhere in every city. Usually when people travel they are out all day trying to see as much as possible. What a great way to break up the day by stopping in a park, letting the kids run around and get out some of that natural energy that piles up inside of them. There is no reason you can’t join them in their active play. Tag, hide and seek, leap frog (do kids play that now?) are just a few things you can play with them.
7. Skip dessert
Now for me, this one is impossible and I won’t even pretend like I’m going to do it. However, if all of the suggestions here aren’t a possibility for you then not eating your calories can be a good option. And depending on the city your visiting, not eating dessert may not be a big challenge for you.
Some desserts can have hundreds of calories in them and by skipping it, you can help stay off extra weight. And if you implement walking into your travel routine, you may be able to keep the pounds at bay.
What do you think? Do these sound like reasonable suggestions that you would be able to do? Is there anything you do to make sure you don’t gain weight while you travel?
Where was the top photo captured, Faida? That’s a lovely park.
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in Paris, it’s in the 19th arrondissment.